Vodafone completed deployment of virtual network infrastructure of VMware in Europe

2020: Completion of deployment of virtual network infrastructure in all European departments of Vodafone Group

On April 9, 2020 it became known that company VMware, Inc., the developer in the field of the corporate software, announced completion of process of deployment of virtual network infrastructure (NVI) in all European departments of Vodafone Group — in 21 countries.

After end of a final stage of works in Albania Vodafone implemented a uniform digital network architecture across the whole Europe. As a result, the operator will be able to project, create, test and unroll functions of communication of the next generation more safely and also is 40% faster. Automation of operation of IT infrastructure also promotes reduction of volume of the human resources necessary for service of Vodafone networks.

Providing a qualitative and reliable covering became very important as clients of Vodafone across the whole Europe depend on providing by the operator crucial communication and communication services in the conditions of the crisis caused by COVID-19.

For ensuring high-quality work of the network in more than 57 DPCs across the whole Europe and also in 25 in the markets of Africa, Asia and Oceania, Vodafone applies telecommunication cloud infrastructure of VMware. Cloud infrastructure supports work of a voice core, core of data and service platforms within more than 900 virtualized network functions. Nearly 50% of all nodes in a core of Vodafone network providing services of voice transmission and other data work at the VMware vCloud NFV platform.

Vodafone aims to be the chief digital telecommunication operator in the industry, and we are glad to the progress made in the field of implementation of modern cloud computing and automation. Working with VMware, we increased the speed and efficiency of the customer service delivery. By our estimates, as a result of implementation of modern technologies the cost of our basic network functions fell by 50%,

Chief operators of communication, such as Vodafone, implement telecommunication cloud infrastructure for providing applications and services of the last generation. Successful cooperation of our two companies promoted achievement of Vodafone of considerable results in the field of transformation of network,

The telecommunication cloud platform of VMware provides virtualization of calculations, data storage, networks, management and automation of operation of infrastructure that allows operators to implement and provide services based on the virtualized network functions. Possibilities of a cloud platform allow telecom operators to reduce time of an output of services for the market, to increase revenue at the expense of an output of services, to optimize operation processes, to reduce costs for network infrastructure and to implement flexible business models for telecommunication workloads.

2017

On September 13, 2017 the VMware company announced that Vodafone Group Plc accepted conditions of the license agreement of VMware that allows corporation to use a number of solutions of vendor. So, Vodafone Group Plc is going to apply technologies of VMware to global deployment of virtualization of network functions (NFV). It is expected that it will allow the operator to implement quicker new offers for users with the improved cost efficiency.

Project Tasks

Preparing for implementation of a 5G, telecom operators actively pass to the software-defined virtualized platforms for providing network functions. Deployment of VMware vCloud NFV will allow Vodafone to support the virtualized network functions (VNF) of several vendors within a single software-defined platform. Vodafone will also take advantage of the offer of VMware on support of telecom operators to facilitate implementation of technologies.

Functions of networks, virtualized, natural to clouds — a critical element of our large-scale program of development. We continue to transform how we build, we use and we develop our networks and services — Fran Hiren, the head of the direction of virtualization of networks, Vodafone Group emphasized. — Reduction of time and costs for deployment and operation of services, use of automation and convergence in the standardized cloud environments for our networks and IT departments is an important part of strategy in technologies and transformation.

Effects of implementation

With VMware vCloud NFV Vodafone will receive the modular multitenantny NFV platform fulfilling the requirements of the European institute for standardization in the field of telecommunications (ETSI) and also a possibility of the choice of a management system for virtual infrastructure (VMware and OpenStack). The vCloud NFV platform combines high-available NFV infrastructure of an operator class, a management tool and monitoring and also function for ensuring guaranteed quality of services. Customers of level of Vodafone will have an opportunity to unroll different applications in the general NFV infrastructure instead of creating the new platform under each innovation service.

The virtualized infrastructure of VMware including VMware vSphere and VMware NSX is the single platform covering network and IT transactions. Its implementation allows to optimize work and the general technical and economic indicators. Vodafone will be able to choose the virtualized network functions from among VNF certified according to the VMware Ready for NFV program. Use of the checked solutions which underwent certification will allow to reduce risks of implementation.

vCloud NFV is the adaptive and flexible platform for the virtualized infrastructure. To it we offer special terms of support of telecom operators. With them Vodafone will have an opportunity to develop new services rapidly. The solution architecture will also support future implementations of a 5G — Shekar Ayyar, the executive vice president and the chief manager of group of telecommunications in VMware company noted.